Newsletter Edition June 02nd 2002

News update : 21/04/03

REBORN IN THE USA CD OUT NOW

Please check www.rebornintheusa.net where you can listen to the tracks and view some 'behind the scenes' pictures of the show and other interesting informatin

REBORN IN THE USA : Cd released Easter Monday 21/04/03

On 21st april you will be able to order/buy this cd in all megastores and record shops.
The cd features 2 tracks by Leee : 'betcha by golly wow' (his Philly tune), and 'a little bit more' (Nashville song).
As I write this down, the 'Reborn cd' has already pre-sold 90,000 copies and will be entering the top 5 of the Uk Album charts this week.

This week : press coverage

Leee has been doing a lot of Tv and Radio this week, he was a guest on Liquid News on Wednesday , Radio 5, Loose Lips (Friday) and LBC radio on Saturday.
He explained what a great time he'd spent in the States and had been overwhelmed by the fantastic support he received in the UK : 'they really like what I'm doing'....
Leee also revealed that he's up to be feautured in a film 'Magic Isle' as a drama teacher; also of note is the possibility thet 'Betcha by golly wow' and 'Just my Imagination' , 2 songs he sang during the 'Reborn tour' might see a double A-side release in the coming weeks, decision will fall next week!

REBORN FINALE LONDON , Saturday 26th April

In Ny , Tony Hadley and Michelle Gayle qualified for the 'Reborn Final Showdown'.
This show will take place in London , Itv studios, recorded live from 6pm onwards.
All 'Reborn' stars will be singing one of their songs in this show and the 'Reborn' winner will be announced during that show.

Leee John , Peter Cox & Tony Hadley on tour??

Leee told in a press conference held on 16th april that there might be a chance that the 3 voices of the Reborn show will be touring together as a 'new Ratpack' , '...Tony would be Frank, Pete would be Dean Martin and I a kind off Sammy Davis....'. (more news on Reborn Page this week)

Press Release 15/04/03

Leee John says he may team up with fellow Reborn In The USA contestants Tony Hadley and Peter Cox for a tour of the UK.
John, who formed an unlikely friendship with ex-Spandau singer Tony Hadley, says he has also been offered a role in Sean Connery's latest film.

"We may do a Rat Pack tour with me, Tony Hadley and Peter Cox which will be really, really good. We'll do our own stuff and dress up in the old suits.

"A promoter is interested in doing it in Britain and Europe at the end of the year. Tony is very like Frank Sinatra and Peter is cool like Dean Martin. I'll be Sammy Davis."

"Tony and I really bonded even though he's on the phone all the time. We called him Two-Hand Tone. Tony was gutted I left this week. We're total opposites but we got on well. I wanted to get to New York so we could do a Rat Pack routine there."

John added: "I've been asked to play a drama teacher in a new film called The Magic Isles made by the people who did Billy Elliot. It's about a young Scottish boy who wants to get into a drama school.

"They've asked Sean Connery to do a cameo role and Christina Aguilera has been asked to play the female lead. They asked me while I was in the US."

Website :

- Reborn page will be updated next week
- currently in the process of moving the website to a new webspace that would give us unlimited possibilities and secure the website once and for all, we'll keep you updated.
- all the fans that have requested information about buying the exclusive cds will receive an email next week on how to go about

LEEE THIS WEEK ON RADIO & TELEVISION :

WEDNESDAY 16/04 : RADIO 5   10-11 am//
                                           TV : LIQUID NEWS BBC 3 7 pm!!!!
- THURSDAY    17/04 : RI:SE CHANNEL 4   8.10 am
- FRIDAY          18/04 : LOOSE LIPS on Living TV 1.55 pm

After spending a fabulous week in Cleveland, Leee lost a very close vote.
Leee sang a blistering version of 'Just my Imagination' and got the audience up once again.
LEEE WAVED GOODBYE TO THE PARTICIPATING CROWD AND THE REBORN TOUR.

-Updates on Reborn page to follow-

Leee won the vote against Sonia is now put up against Michelle Gayle to stay on the bus
Leee sang a very tender version of 'a little bit more', a dr. Hook classic and was, surprisingly nominated by the Nashville audience.

REBORN IN THE USA : UPDATE (01-04-2003)

Interviews part 2 : Tony Hadley & Michelle Gayle

We were blessed by the goodwill of most of the competitors to answer a couple of questions
submitted by leeejohn.com.

REBORN IN THE USA : CD TRACKS

Track Listings REBORN IN THE USA CD (upcoming release : Eastern)

Interviews : part 1 : Peter Cox & Elkie Brooks

We have conducted interviews with most of the competitors on the bus,
there have enthusiatically answered 5 general and 2 personal questions
first up : Peter Cox who has already proven what a great VOICE he has and
'Dame' Elkie Brooks who oozes class when she is singing.

29 march 2003 : Elkie Brooks has been voted off the bus, a dear friend of Leee
has gone, she bid the tour farewell with a sublime rendition of Elvis history.

Reborn in the USA : Detroit

Reborn page updated : Leee sings Marvin, article from 'Now',
Upcoming : interviews with the stars

Reborn in the USA : Philladelphia

Reborn page updated : - Leee John in Stylistics mood
Reviews by David , DL , New Orleans audience,
Picture (Now magazine)

Reborn in the USA

Reborn in the Usa page updated : New Orleans, Philadelphia
A lot of coverage in press and on Tv of this 'Reality Tv Show'
Next show , this Saturday evening approx. 9.30pm UK time

Website

Currently re-designing some pages, new pics. will be added, possibly a chatroom will be online this week
Special thanks to DL, Barry James & David Rowles (USA)

Next Sunday on www.ukrumble.com special remixes by DJ Gilly (MBS, Passion), a 20 minute special remix of Leee and Imagination SSSound!!!! Check forum for time!! Thx GILLY

February 2003

REBORN IN THE USA

The distinguished company are preparing to leave for the USA, departure 02th March 03.
First stop : New Orleans.

A special page 'Reborn in the USA' will give you all the latest news , gossip and results, Leee will keep you informed of any special happenings during the build-up. We will also give you insight in what is being published on this 'hot' event!
To start off things , here's an article that appeared in the Daily Mail, and an short interview of Leee.

Leee John

Leee John, formed dance trio Imagination in 1981. The group notched up a decade's worth of hits incl. "Just An Illusion" which reached No2 in 1982. He runs his own production company, and has had success as a solo artist. He's hoping to break into acting.

   My first earnings from Imagination was a cheque for £15.000. I went straight to Harrods and bought a wolf fur coat, which I wore constantly. I've still got it in the loft.
   The first time I realised I'd made it was in the mid-1980's: while playing to a Spanish audience of 15.000, I caught a glimpse of myself on a massive screen and just thought: "Wow, I'm famous".
   Fame had a huge impact. I'd been supplementing my income from the theatre working as singing waiter. Then I wrote our first hit, "Body Talk", on my mum's kitchen table in 1981, and suddenly screaming
schoolgirls were chasing me everywhere we went. We were even mobbed in far-flung places such as Bratislava and Russia. It was amazing.
   I got to meet influential figures such as Princess Di - who joked about our see-through outfits- and Nelson Mandela, who had us over for dinner; Winnie cooked.
   Things started to change in 1990 when our manager Brian Longley was killed in a road accident. His death hit me hard, and my priorities changed.
I formed my own production company and started promoting other acts, although I missed the limelight.
   I decided to do the series for the exposure because I want the public to know Leee John rather than 'that guy from Imagination '. Any performer would leap
at the chance to sing to new audiences on an all-expenses-paid trip to the US.

(Source: Daily Mail Feb 26 2003)

Reborn in the USA (in negociation)

A reality show , some of nineties illuminaries :
Michelle Gayle, Chesney Hawkes, Tony Hadley,....
and Leee John will be competing in a Pop Idol format , all participants
have already proven in the past what they're able of, but who of those
stars of eighties and nineties could win over the youngsters today and become a 'new pop idol'???
(picture taken from 'News of the World' - Sunday 19th January -)

Leee John will be releasing a NEW album this year!!!!!
Tentative release date: november 2003!!

!!COMING SOON !!

AA new 'Special cd' is being prepared :

Leee John & the Sound of Imagination , available Febr-March.
Next to the Master Edition of 'Fascination' & 'Dance Vault Classics' , this will be the third exclusive cd for sale via the website.
Among the tracks : Body Talk, Illusion, Music and Lights, Passion, Mighty Power of Love, Fantasia (?), Flashback,...

Other news :

- 'Passion' is up for a release on Vinyl in Belgium, a hot dance label is interested in releasing it with some extra mixes!
- Besides building the basis for the upcoming release(s), Leee is working on different projects , among which a jazz release;
also some interesting collaborations have finalized, no details yet;
-gigs are being ordered , we are still waiting confirmation for a show in Birmingham on 31st january

- 'In review' page is being updated, some more pictures from the gig in Germany (11th January) will be put online
- first exclusive cd's have been sent out , we are currently negociating with a big company to set up 'credit card facility'!- -'Photogalleries', Discography' & 'Biography' will get an update and a new 'frontpage' is being designed
-Last but not least : a special page with audio files is comin' and 'reviews' of the exclusive cds!!

SHAKATAK & LEEE JOHN

Leee and Bill Sharpe have worked together on a couple of tracks, among which , 'Fool in love' which
will be put on Shakatak's forthcoming album , to be released spring 2003, Japan. We will inform you in
time when the album will be available. The track is a jazzy soulful tune, Leee first recorded last year as a solo effort but now he has re-recorded the track in the studio with Jill , lead singer of Shakatak. So, on the album will be the 'duet version'. No confirmation on what's going to happen with 'Angel (I'll be there)'.

THE FASCINATION & DANCE VAULT CLASSICS EXCLUSIVE CD's

On sale via the website are these exclusive cds that were recorded by Leee himself , winter 2002.

On the 'Fascination' cd you will hear the original masters the way they should have been released BUT where not! The album has thirteen tracks , eleven + 2 extra mixes.
The 'Dance Vault Classics' is a cd with rare and often unreleased mixes from grooves that Leee worked on in the nineties. The cd has THIRTEEN TRACKS , the different songs are put on the back sleeve but it is worth noting that some of the songs will come in different versions among which 'Pearls'....all tracks have been mixed so that really makes it a party cd.   A special feature page (WITH AUDIO FILES) will be put online so you can have a listen before you order! IMPORTANT : it also features a song Leee did in 2001 and was announced but never came out : 'Could have been you' (with L. Fontana)!!!

LEEE/IMAGINATION in Germany - Gummersbach

A jolly good time was had on Saturday, 11th January in Gummersbach, Germany where Leee and his feline dancers gave a posh show for a VIP happening organised by local TV station and with a lot of german personalities enjoying the champagne and other bubbles!! Check some hot shots from the gig in the 'Review' page.

The year has just started and Leee has received very positive news in Switzerland where he was invited by a record company to spend some time off in the mountains, let's wait and see but it looks very promising as they   say.   We will be revamping the site as we go along and have prepared some interesting things , so keep an eye on the site.
For those of you who like to have/read everything check out the biography of L. Allen Jones on Freddie Mercury where Leee is featured in one of the chapters.

All collaborators of this website wish Imagination & Leee John fans a GREAT supergroovalistical 2003!!

News Update December 2002

IMPORTANT :

Finally, after a decade, Imagination's penultimate effort 'the Fascination of the Physical' is finally available.
Those of you who have the version that was released in Europe in 92 (Indisc, New Music, RCA Victor (Jap),
will be over the moon to finally hear the Master Edition.

The story behind 'Fascination' :

In 91 'a version' of the album was hastily sent to different distribution companies all over Europe as the recording
company wanted a 'quick' release. At the time, Leee had finalized the 'definite' version which 'should' have been
put on the album. Before they could intervene the 'draft' version was in the shops.
When listening to the version of 92 you cannot help noticing the uneven sound quality of some of the tracks
('best of my life' being the worst). Also Leee's versions are musically of superior quality and the sound is wicked.
This album was the last album in which Ashley Ingram was involved, in fact Ashley hardly worked on the album.
During the couple of years preceding the release, Ashley was busy working on the first album of Des'ree and apart
from co-writing a couple of tracks, the album is mainly the work of Leee & a posse of new collaborators among which
Adam Pendse (whose first collaboration with Imagination had been 'Give into Love') , Toby Baker, Rod Gammons,
Dee Vaz, Will Mowat , member Peter Royer & Junior 'Mama used to say' Grisombe,.... In the spring of 91 Ashley left
Imagination and Nat Augustin (of 'Light of the World') came on board.
The version for sale EXCLUSIVELY via the Website has the original Master tracks : apart from 'the night we loved'
the versions you will hear are quiet different to the released ones. Some of the entries are a far cry from the 92 edition : check out 'best of my life', 'I like it', 'Work',.. the song 'Alone again', not on
the european releases, is the closing track in yet a different version than the one on the Japanese release! Enjoy!

NEW CD : Leee John Dance Vault (unreleased, undiscovered)

Leee has decided to put some rare grooves, unreleased mixes of some of the songs he wrote
in the nineties for sale. This cd will come in an original cover. If everything goes according to plan another cd with even 'rarer' and 'older' stuff on will be for sale , Leee walking down Memory Lane(!)

Keeep on Movin'!